Signal converting apparatus with a relay function wire terminal

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a signal converting apparatus, and more particularly to a signal converting apparatus comprising a signal converting unit and a connector terminal with a relay function wire terminal, wherein two ends of the signal converting unit are connected to two different kinds of signal lines respectively (for example, coaxial cable and network line) for converting the incoming signal received into a different type of signal and then transmitting the new type of signal via the corresponding signal line, and two ends of the relay connector are connected to signal lines respectively for directly transmitting signals, such as data or power signals, so as to unify and group all the signal wires into a common location and achieve the effects of reducing the material cost and the wiring time related to cables, as well as providing a neat and organized wiring installation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In response to rising crime rates, monitors and surveillance systems are being installed in places like malls, elevators, and residential areas according to the conditions and requirements of the installed location to help maintain public order and protect life and property. The installation of such monitoring equipment can effectively eliminate blind spots of public security in areas lacking police patrols, leading to extensive acceptance and use of monitors and surveillance systems.

In general, existing video monitoring equipment are required to convert an analog image signal into a digital signal so that a video playing device connected to the monitoring equipment can play back the video images. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, an image transmitter can be installed on a connector <b>401</b> of a monitoring card <b>400</b> of a computer device <b>500</b>, and the image transmitter has an enclosure box <b>100</b> wherein a connector <b>101</b> is disposed at an end of the enclosure box <b>100</b> and connected to the corresponding monitoring card <b>400</b>, and the other end of the enclosure box <b>100</b> includes a plurality of signal lines <b>200</b>. When the monitoring cards <b>400</b> are connected with a plurality of image transmitter enclosure boxes <b>100</b>, each enclosure box <b>100</b> is connected independently to a single signal line, and a power cable <b>300</b> from each connector <b>401</b> is connected to an external power supply. Since the plurality of signal lines <b>200</b> at the end of the enclosure boxes <b>100</b> cannot be arranged together with the power cables <b>300</b>, these signal lines <b>200</b> and power cables <b>300</b> makes the appearance of the computer device <b>500</b> look disorganized. If one of the enclosure boxes <b>100</b> breaks down, it is necessary to search for the damaged enclosure box <b>100</b> among these tangled signal lines <b>200</b> and power cables <b>300</b> in order to repair the damaged enclosure box <b>100</b>, thus making the management and maintenance of the enclosure boxes <b>100</b> very inconvenient while making the overall appearance of the computer device <b>500</b> look disorganized. Furthermore, the computer device <b>500</b> is connected to a plurality of connectors <b>401</b> and a plurality of enclosure boxes <b>100</b>, and thus the prior art has the additional following two drawbacks: <ul><li id="ul0001-0001" num="0004">1. The power cables <b>300</b> and the enclosure boxes <b>100</b> have separate connecting lines, and the power cables <b>300</b> are connected line by line, and a poor contact or connection may occur easily when connecting the power cables <b>300</b> in this fashion.</li><li id="ul0001-0002" num="0005">2. When the monitoring cards <b>400</b> and the enclosure boxes <b>100</b> are connected, the quantity of power cables <b>300</b> and signal lines <b>200</b> expands and becomes difficult to manage, thus making the overall wiring appearance disorganized and the maintenance and management of the wiring inconvenient.</li></ul>

Obviously, finding a way to solve the aforementioned problems of the prior art while maintaining the original advantages of the monitoring equipment demands immediate attention and feasible solutions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention, based on years of experience in the related industry, has conducted extensive research and experiments, and finally developed a signal converting apparatus with a relay function wire terminal in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a signal converting apparatus with a relay function wire terminal, and the apparatus comprises: a body; a signal converting unit and a relay function wire terminal installed in the body, with the signal converting unit installed proximate to the bottom of the body; a signal connector portion disposed at an end of the signal converting unit, and protruded and exposed from an end of the body, and connected to an electronic device through a signal line for transmitting or receiving a first signal; at least one first signal line disposed on the other end of the body and extended into the body, and connected to the signal converting unit, wherein the signal connecting portion is connected to another signal converting apparatus through the first signal line, and the relay function wire terminal is installed at a position of the body proximate to the top of the body. The relay function wire terminal comprises an electrically conducting board, a plurality of first and second conductive members, and a plurality of first and second locking elements, and each conductive member is installed on the electrically conducting board, and the locking elements are installed movably and respectively at the first and second conductive members such that the electrically conducting board, the conductive members, and the locking elements are electrically conducted with each other. In addition, the end of the relay function terminal has a connecting terminal to connect a second signal line, and the other end of the second signal line is connected to the electronic device or an electric equipment for transmitting and receiving a second signal to and from the electronic device or electric equipment, the other end of the relay function terminal is provided for connecting an end of a third signal line, and another end of the third signal line is connected to the electronic device, so that the signal converting unit can convert the first signal, and the first signal can be transmitted to the electronic device and another signal converting apparatus through the first signal line and a fourth signal line respectively. In the meantime, the second signal is transmitted to the electronic device, another signal converting apparatus, and the electric equipment through the second signal line and the third signal line so that the second signal line of the electronic device can be centralized at the body so as to save the material cost and the wiring time of the cables and maintain a neat and organized overall appearance.

To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objective, technical characteristics and effects of the present invention, preferred embodiments will be described with accompanying drawings as follows;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic view of a conventional network apparatus;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a perspective view of the present invention; and

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref> for a signal converting apparatus with a relay function wire terminal in accordance with the present invention, the signal converting apparatus comprises: a body <b>10</b>; a signal converting unit <b>15</b> and a relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> disposed in the body <b>10</b>, wherein the signal converting unit <b>15</b> is installed in the body <b>10</b> proximate to the bottom of the body <b>10</b>, and a signal connecting portion <b>13</b> (such as a BNC connector) is disposed at an end of the signal converting unit <b>15</b> and connected to an electronic device <b>3</b> (such as a camera, a CCD camera, or a digital video recorder) through a fourth signal line <b>8</b> for transmitting or receiving a first signal, and another end of the body <b>10</b> is provided for extending at least one first signal line <b>5</b> into the body <b>10</b> and connecting the first signal line <b>5</b> to the signal converting unit <b>15</b>. The signal connecting portion <b>13</b> is connected to another signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> through the first signal line <b>5</b>, and the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> is installed in the body <b>10</b> and proximate to the top of the body <b>10</b>, and an end of the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> is connected to an end of a second signal line <b>6</b>, and another end of the second signal line <b>6</b> is connected to the electronic device <b>3</b> or to an electric equipment <b>4</b> (such as a power supply or a power over Ethernet (PoE) device) for transmitting/receiving a second signal to/from the electronic device <b>3</b> or electric equipment <b>4</b>, wherein the second signal is a power supply signal transmitted from the electric equipment <b>4</b>.

In addition, another end of the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> is provided for connecting an end of at least one third signal line <b>7</b>, and another end of the third signal line <b>7</b> is connected to the corresponding end of the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> of the other signal converting apparatus <b>2</b>, so that the signal converting unit <b>15</b> can convert the first signal that can be transmitted to the electronic device <b>3</b> and another signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> through the first signal line <b>5</b> and a fourth signal line <b>8</b> respectively, while the second signal can be transmitted separately to the electronic device <b>3</b>, another signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> and the electric equipment <b>4</b> through the second signal line <b>6</b> and the third signal line <b>7</b>, such that the second signal line <b>6</b> of the electronic device <b>3</b> can be centralized onto the body <b>10</b> so as to reduce the material cost and the wiring time of the cables as well as provide a neat and good-looking appearance.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref>, the body <b>10</b> is composed of a housing <b>11</b> and a cover <b>12</b>, and the housing <b>11</b> can accommodate the signal converting unit <b>15</b>, with the signal converting unit <b>15</b> being a signal converter whose signal connecting portion <b>13</b> is connected to an electronic device <b>3</b> (such as a camera in this embodiment). An end of the housing <b>11</b> is extended outward by the signal connecting portion <b>13</b>, and another end of the housing <b>11</b> is provided for extending each first signal line <b>5</b> into the housing <b>11</b>. If the signal connecting portion <b>13</b> is connected to the electronic device <b>3</b>, the signal connecting portion <b>13</b> will be able to transmit the first signal received from the electronic device <b>3</b> to the signal converting unit <b>15</b> through the fourth signal line <b>8</b>. After the signal converting unit <b>15</b> converts the first signal into a signal that can be transmitted by the first signal line <b>5</b>, the first signal is sent out through the first signal line <b>5</b>.

In the preferred embodiment, the cover <b>12</b> has an opening <b>121</b> disposed proximate to an end of the signal connecting portion <b>13</b>, and another end of the signal connecting portion <b>13</b> has at least two holes <b>122</b>, each being provided for extending at least one third signal line <b>7</b> connected to the electric equipment <b>4</b> out of the cover <b>12</b>, and the opening <b>121</b> is provided for extending at least one second signal line <b>6</b> connected to the electronic device <b>3</b> out of the cover <b>12</b>. The cover <b>12</b> covers the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> and wraps around the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b>, and the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b> includes an electric conducting board <b>143</b> (such as a circuit board), a plurality of first and second conducting members <b>141</b> and <b>142</b>, and each of the first and second conducting members <b>141</b> and <b>142</b> is arranged neatly on the electric conducting board <b>143</b> and secured onto a surface of the electric conducting board <b>143</b> by first and second locking elements <b>144</b> and <b>145</b>, and each first conducting member <b>141</b> and its corresponding first locking element <b>144</b> are connected to the second signal line <b>6</b>, and each second conducting member <b>142</b> and its corresponding second locking element <b>145</b> are connected to the third signal line <b>7</b> of the electric equipment <b>4</b>.

In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref>, if the cover <b>12</b> is covered onto the housing <b>11</b>, the second signal line <b>6</b> of the camera is extended into the cover <b>12</b> through the opening <b>121</b> and wound around a first locking element <b>144</b> of each first conducting member <b>141</b> and connected to the corresponding first conducting member <b>141</b>, and a connecting line of the electric equipment <b>4</b> is extended through each hole <b>122</b> into the cover <b>12</b> and wound around a second locking element <b>145</b> of the second conducting member <b>142</b>, and connected to the corresponding second conducting member <b>142</b>, so that the second signal line <b>6</b> of the camera can obtain a power supply signal transmitted from the electric equipment <b>4</b> by the relay function wire terminal <b>14</b>, and thus the second signal line <b>6</b> of the camera no longer needs a wire to be extended to another power supply source so as to save the material cost and the wiring time of cable. In the meantime, the second signal line <b>6</b> of the camera can be centralized to give a neat and good-looking overall appearance. The electric conducting board <b>143</b> further includes a light emitting element <b>146</b> (such as an LED component) installed between the first and second conducting members <b>141</b> and <b>142</b> such that when the light emitting element <b>146</b> is connected to the electronic device <b>3</b> and a connecting line of the electric equipment <b>4</b>, a light source is emitted to indicate the power supply status.

In the following embodiment given for illustrating the present invention, the signal connecting portion <b>13</b> is a BNC connector, and the first, second, and third signal lines <b>5</b>, <b>6</b>, <b>7</b> are network lines <b>57</b>, and the first signal line <b>5</b> and third signal line <b>7</b> are used for forming a network line <b>57</b>, and the fourth signal line <b>8</b> is a coaxial cable. Such an arrangement is used for illustration only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. If a first signal line <b>5</b> and a fourth signal line <b>8</b> are of different specifications, and a second signal line <b>6</b> and a third signal line <b>7</b> are of the same specification, these signal lines are known as the first, second, third, and fourth signal lines <b>5</b>, <b>6</b>, <b>7</b>, <b>8</b> in the invention. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref>, the signal converting apparatus <b>1</b> is connected to another signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> by a network line <b>57</b>, wherein each first conducting member <b>141</b> of the other signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> and its corresponding first locking element <b>144</b> are connected to a connecting line of the electric equipment <b>4</b>, and the signal connecting portion <b>13</b> of the other signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> is connected to a digital video recorder. In this embodiment, the network line <b>57</b> has at least four connecting lines, wherein two of those connecting lines are connecting lines of the electric equipment <b>4</b> connected to each second conducting member <b>142</b> and its corresponding second locking element <b>145</b> of each signal converting apparatus <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> respectively, and the other two connecting lines are the first signal lines <b>5</b> connected respectively to the signal converting unit <b>15</b> of each signal converting apparatus <b>1</b> and <b>2</b>.

After the signal converting unit <b>15</b> of the signal converting apparatus <b>1</b> converts a first signal in the original format of the coaxial cable into a first signal that can be received by a network line <b>57</b>, the first signal is transmitted to another signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> through the network line <b>57</b>, and the signal converting unit <b>15</b> of the other signal converting apparatus <b>2</b> converts the first signal that can be received by the network line <b>57</b> into a first signal with the format of the coaxial cable, and transmits the first signal to the digital video recorder through the fourth signal line <b>8</b>, and finally the first signal is transmitted to a display device <b>9</b> (such as a liquid crystal display) for displaying the first signal as an image. With the conversion by each signal converting apparatus <b>1</b>, <b>2</b>, the electronic device <b>3</b> can obtain the required power supply signal without the need of connecting via separate connecting lines to an electric equipment <b>4</b>. The present invention can achieve the effects of avoiding many connecting lines from being tangled with each other to maintain a neat and good-looking overall appearance, saving the material cost and the wiring time of the cables, and providing an easy way of removing the cover <b>12</b> to give a convenient way of maintaining the body <b>10</b>.

While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.